Dispensing mechanism



Feb. 22, 1949. s. J. HEIMAN DISPENSING MEGHANISM Filed Feb. 12, 1945Patentecl Feb. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE DISPENSING MECHANISMSidney J. Heiman, St. Louis, Mo.

Application February 12, 1945, Serial No. 577,419

(Cl. S12-48) 1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to dispensing mechanisms, and moreparticularly to those devices'wherein vendible bottled goods, such ascarbonated beverages, fruit juices, milk, and countless other productsare arranged, for delivery to the ultimate consumers.

The. invention has as its principal object the production of a device ofthe kind described, wherein the mechanism for delivering the bottles tothe point from whence they may be manually withdrawn from the device,will be simple but completely eiective for its intended function, andwill comprise a minimum number of parts.

The invention has as an important object, the construction of such adispensing mechanism wherein the parts will operate smoothly and easily,with little danger of jamming, breaking, or similar troubles which oftencome to such devices.

Another object of my invention is to so construct a device of the kindaforesaid, that the bottles may be stored therein, one above .the otherand cooled or otherwise treated during such storage, and wherein thebottle-actuating means will Withdraw the bottom bottles consecutively,one after the other, and as the same moves to deliver one bottle sowithdrawn, the next following bottle will drop into operative positionfor the next subsequent operation of the bottle-actuating means.

A further object of this invention is `to construct a dispenser of thekind described, in which a rotary bottle-carrier element will form afalse bottom or intermittent closure wall for the stacked bottles, tothereby engage and support the latter in place, and wherein said closurewall gradually recedes in a direction toward the rotational axis of thecarrier element as the latter is actuated to deliver bottles.

An added object of my invention resides in the construction of a deviceas hereinbefore described, in which the bottle-carrier means will be ofsubstantially S-shape in outline, to form a pair oi oppositely directedopen jaws at the two ends, the peripheral surfaces of said means betweensaid jaws providing cam surfaces with which thebottles engage as saidmeans is operated through its predetermined movement, and whereby theupper jaw at the end of each such operation of the carrier means willreceive the bottom bottle of the supply of bottles as the lowest jawwill bejejecting a bottle to the point of delivery.

Astill further object of this invention is to construct a device oi thekind described, that only 2 one bottle at a time will be received intothe jaw at upper position, and to this end, the peripheral surfaces ofthe S-shaped carrier are directed radially inwardly for a short distancetoward the ends or tips.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown anddescribed, will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which thisinvention appertains, as will be apparent from the disclosures hereingiven.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel arrangement,construction and combination of parts herein shown and described, andthe uses mentioned, .as will be more clearly pointed out in thefollowing specifications.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like orcorresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a bottle dispenser, withparts broken away in order to show the construction more clearly,

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially `along the line2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a similar cross-sectional view, taken substantially alongthe line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein I have illustrateda preferred embodiment of my invention, there is shown the lower endportion of the housing or casing A for a mechanism used for thedispensing of bottled goods, such as milk, fruit juices, carbonatedwaters, beverages, etc., preferably having some means of refrigeratingthe same (although said means are not shown herein as it does not form apart of the instant invention), the housing having one or more upwardlyextending extensions or guideways 2 adjacent its lower end.

A plurality oi bottles B may be arranged to cooperate with each of saidguideways, these bottles being one above the other, and in the formshown these bottles are stacked in vertical arrangement, onesuperimposed on the other and with the longitudinal axes of the bottleshorizontally.

It is to be especially noted that the lower or bottom end of theguideway is constantly open, as at 3, and is suiciently large to permitthe bottles to drop therethrough. However, said open bottom 3 iseiectively sealed, to permit only a predetermined and intermittentpassage of bottles therethrough, as will be hereinafter described.

Spaced from and below said open end 3 of the casing or housing is thedelivery opening 4, from whence the ejected bottles may be manuallywithdrawn by the ultimate consumer, after each operation of thedispenser,

This housing is transversely enlarged intermediate the openings 3 and 4to provide the chamber 5 for the bottle carrying or propelling means,and also cooperates with the latter to guide the bottles in their pathof ejectment, as indicated in the lines of arrows of Figs. 2 and 3. y

One or more bottle-carrying or propelling members 6 and v6 may be fixedto the drive shaft 'l journalled in the housing, and in order to controlthe rotational actuation of the shaft, an operating handle 8 is operablyconnected to said shaft through gearing S or the like, whereby apredetermined movement of said handle will rotate the members 6 and 6through a half-revolution, to carry the latter from their full-1inepositions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to approximately their full linepositions again (inasmuch as said members are alike at diametricallyopposed ends). Y Each of said carrier members is ysubstantiallySfsha-ped `in face view, with a pair of open jaws extending in mutuallyopposed directions at the ends, the jaws I-lll which engage the bottleneck being obviously smaller than the corresponding jaws ll-H thatengage the main body portion of the bottle.

Y The peripheral edges of said carrier members act as bottle-engagingcam surfaces l2 and l2', said surfaces dening the S-shape outline of thecarrier Vmembers and leading from the exterior surface adjacent one jawof a pair to the under side of the throat of the other jaw of said pair,and itis to Vbe further noted that each of said cam surfaces is curvedor bent radially inwardly vfrom adjacent the outer periphery of each jawto the tip of the latter.

vIt will also be noted that the outer periphery of each of said carriermembers recedes gradually toward the rotational center of the same, fromadjacent one of its pair of jaws to the other, to merge with andform theunder surface of the lastmentioned jaw. In such manner, saidperipheralsurfaceswill act as cam surfaces to form false bottoms oreiective closures for the open l end 3 ofthe casing.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the bottle carrier members are shown in full lines asthey would appear apu proximately at the end of each half turn, or at thbeginning and end Y`of each bottle ejectment. In thisposition the-lowermost bottle is shown as dropping into the delivery chute oropening 4 fromwh'ence it may be withdrawn manually, and the bottlepreviously at the bottom of the stack has dropped completely through theopening 3 andis about to lie within 'the jaw then uppermost. With 'thelast-mentioned bottle dropped into said jaw, it will engage and supportthe bottles thereabove. v

Now, when the handle is again operated, the calnperipheries uppermostwill move and engage and'support the stack of bottles, the bottom bottle'of which is shown Yas B', thus acting as van effective 'closure for thesaid opening 3, and continuation of operation of the handle will causesaid cam peripheries to recede gradually radially tofguide said bottle Binto the same position previously occupied by the last uppermost bottleB, at the termination ofhandle travel.

Thus, as the carrier members are rotated from the vposition shown infull lines in Figs. 2 and 3, to :approximately the same eiectivepositions again, after each half-turn of the carriers, a bottle Bcarried from the jaws initially uppermost will'l'fbe ejected intothedelivery opening, and

are bent *vor directed radially inwardly toward the tips of said jaws,so that there will be no danger =of sa-id tips striking a bottledropping into position, except at alipointbelow the horizontal planepassed through the longitudinal axis of the bottle.

Having thus described my invention, it is obf vious that variousimmaterial modications may be 4made lin the same without'departing from'the spirit .of the same; hence vI Vdo not wish to be understood aslimiting "myself to the (exact-form, arrangement, construction vandvcombination lof parts 'herein shown `and described', or lusesfinentioned, except as limited by the state of the Fart to which thisinvention appertain-s, yand `the claim hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and ldesiretofsecure fby Letters Patent is:

In a dispenser for bottles, arnagaaine having anupper portion forstoring ra pluralityof bottles in direct- -interengagement substantiallyhorizon` tally one above the other and having an open-end through whichthe bottles may dr-op, 'said magazine having a lower -portionwithabottle-delivery opening spaced vbelow said aforesaid-openen@ a 4rotary1control vmember =between -sai'dopenV lend and delivery opening to carrybottles-therebetween to the latter-and comprising ,a substantiallyS-shaped member provided with a `:pair of --diametrically spaced-circumfferentialfly extending oppositely directed bottleereceivingjawsin lwhich said bottles may seat, there being `bottle-engaging camsurfaces leading from the exterior voi .one jaw to the under side of theother j-aw to define said S-shape, the outer `,periphery of-saidcarriermember receding gradually toward the r*rotational axis of the member`from adjacent eachjaw toward its tip, and with'the tips-.of the Ajawsexe tending circumierentially lbeyond the Vbottle seats of the -jaws,whereby the vstored bottles will be lifted slightly and then loweredasthey'are actuated frombelowby said carrier `member,and whereby when thebottom 'bottle in the ,magazine falls through said open end of the upperportion it is spaced from the throat of theladjacent'jaw and issubsequently engaged by 'the latter and carried to said deliveryopening.

`SIDNEYJ. REFERENCES 'CITED The following references-.-are rof recordhinthe le -of this patent:

AUNrrirD STATES-PATENTS

